LARAMIE – Hillary Carlson was the big fish in the local pond.
 
The 6-foot-3 forward led Cheyenne Central to a Class 4A state girls basketball championship in 2005 and was named the 2006-07 Gatorade Player of the Year in Wyoming.
 
Joe Legerski, who was in the process of piloting the Cowgirls to new heights, realized what an important recruit Carlson would be.
 
"We needed to make sure we did everything possible to keep the best Wyoming kids and give them an opportunity to play at Wyoming, and Hillary fell into that category," Legerski said. "She was highly recruited, and I just remember thinking this is someone that can make a difference in our program and for the state of Wyoming. She definitely did that."
 
Carlson, a three-time All-Mountain West selection whose name remains prominent throughout the program's record book, will be inducted into the UW Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame this fall.
 
The Cowgirl star never sought the spotlight during her playing career but is looking forward to sharing the stage with an impressive 2026 class that includes Cowboy basketball legends Gregg Sawyer and Josh Adams.
 
"I was really surprised," the humble Carlson said. "It just means a lot because you hear about these great athletes that have been in the hall of fame and have done such great things. At that basketball game (in February) when the class was announced, I kind of felt like I didn't belong a little bit. It was a nice reminder about the things that I was able to accomplish.
 
"My time at Wyoming was so special and I enjoyed it so much. I had all the feelings, honestly."
 
Carlson is clearly one of the greatest Cowgirls of all time. She left the program ranked No. 2 all-time in blocked shots (212), No. 11 in points scored (1,485), and No. 14 in rebounds (678).
 
Legerski noted that those statistics speak for themselves about Carlson's talent but it was the work she put in when the Arena-Auditorium was empty that made her one of the all-time UW greats.
 
"Hillary showed up every day," Legerski said. "I'd say she was mild-mannered, but she had that instinct to win and she wanted to win, she wanted to succeed. That's the part, being self-driven, that's not about any coach. She brought that to the table; she brought that to the gym every day and made people around her better. I think that is a mark of a hall of famer."
 
After committing to play for UW, Carlson attended the legendary 2007 WNIT semifinal game the Cowgirls pulled out in triple overtime over Kansas State.
 
A few months after Legerski's squad cut down the nets following a lopsided win over Wisconsin in the title game played in front of 15,462 in the "Dome of Doom," Carlson joined a stacked roster led by senior stars Hanna Zavecz and Justyna Podziemska.
 
Carlson averaged 2.6 points on the 2007-08 Cowgirl team that received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
 
"It was very eye-opening, and kind of a smack in the face," Carlson said of adjusting to the level of play. "I think that's kind of what a lot of freshmen deal with going from high school to college. But I don't think they lost any seniors from that WNIT championship team, and so then joining it was so good for me as a freshman because I was able to learn from all of those really experienced players. …
 
"The (playing) time that I did get was so special because that team was so good. Then also being able to play in the NCAA tournament that year. I think I played like eight seconds at the end of the game because Hanna Zavecz fouled out, and so I get to kind of claim that."
 
As a sophomore, Carlson led the Cowgirls in scoring (11.8 points per game) and was second in rebounding (5.2 rpg) behind senior Megan McGuffey (10.7 ppg, 6.8 rpg), another prep standout from Cheyenne Legerski was able to keep in state.
 
The 2009-10 Cowgirls won 21 games and reached the third round of the WNIT with Carlson (15.6 ppg, 6.7 rpg) and 2023 UW Athletics Hall of Fame inductee Aubrey Vandiver (14.5 ppg, 9.8 rpg) dominating as juniors.
 
Carlson's 10 blocks against Nevada on March 9, 2010, remain the single-game school record. She blocked a school-record 98 shots that season.
 
"She did what a coach wants everyone to do – improve from year to year to year. She did that and capped it off with a great senior year," Legerski said. "My teams are always built around 3-point shooting with the motion offense, but when you have an inside presence the caliber of Hillary you make an extra effort to get the ball inside.
 
"Defensively, you had a rim protector that allowed you to do things differently defensively. She really grew as a player and had an impact on both ends of the court."
 
Vandiver was named the Mountain West player of the year for the 2010-11 campaign, but Carlson gave the Cowgirls two legitimate candidates for the award by averaging 17.3 points and 7.2 rebounds as a senior.
 
UW finished 24-9 with a loss to Colorado in the third round of the WNIT. During the season, Carlson scored a career-high 34 points against UNLV on Jan. 26, 2011, which is tied for the fourth most points in a single game in program history.
 
"It's so hard to remember moments from games. I think about the moments at hotels, eating as a team and all the experiences you have traveling together, those team moments," Carlson said. "Some of my best friends are from college and from that team. I think those are the moments that I'll remember the most."
 
After her playing career, Carlson went into coaching and served as an assistant at Central Washington, Air Force and Weber State. She has now gone full circle with a return to Cheyenne Central as the assistant varsity coach while focusing on her growing young family.
 
"He had such a good demeanor," Carlson said of Legerski's impact on her coaching style. "He wasn't super up or super down. I tried to be that type of player; I didn't let the small things kind of get to me or affect my game. He kind of had a calming presence, even in tough moments, and so that's kind of my personality, too. As my coach, I really appreciated that in him and I try to bring that level head to coaching."
 
Carlson will join Legerski (2024) and former teammates Vandiver (2023) and Zavecz (2016) in the UW Athletics Hall of Fame during the annual induction ceremony on Sept. 11 in the Marian H. Rochelle Gateway Center.
 
"I didn't really like the spotlight a ton but that makes me feel good that I was a good teammate and I had something to do with our success," Carlson said. "That means a lot."
 
Follow Ryan for more stories on Wyoming athletics on X at @By_RyanThorburn on Facebook at Wyoming Athletics and Instagram at wyoathletics. Also follow him at Pokes Insider at Gowyo.com/pokesinsider.
 
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